(d) Upon receipt of a request for hearing to contest the imposition of a civil penalty imposed by a citation, the enforcing agency shall immediately forward a copy of the citation and notice of the request for hearing to the Department for initiation of a hearing conducted in accordance with the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act and the rules established thereto by the Department applicable to contested cases, except that in case of a conflict between the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act and this Act, the provisions of this Act shall control. Parties to the hearing shall be the enforcing agency and the violator. The Department shall notify the violator in writing of the time, place, and location of the hearing. The hearing shall be conducted at the nearest regional office of the Department, or in a location contracted by the Department in the county where the citation was issued.